Heat control for linotype melting-pots.



APPLICATION FILED IUNEI, I9I5.

am 1 9 11 2 1 nm e D m e M P lid GEORGE E. LEE, 0h

GLEVEIIAINID, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GEORGE E. LEE COMPANY, OLEVELAND, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

HEAT CONTROL FOR LINO'IYPE MELTIIl'G-PO'IS.

Application filed June 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Heat Control for Linotype Melting-Pots, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to linotype ma-.

chines, the object of the invention being to provide mechanism for controlling the heating of the various portions of the melting pot of a linotype machine.

Generally speaking, the invention comprises theelements and combinations thereof set forth in the accompanying claims.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is an elevation with the parts in section of a melting pot embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a top plan view ofthe showing in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation with portions in section showing a part of the thermostat control.

In the casting of lines or slugsin a linotype machine it is, practically speaking,nec-

cssary that the temperature of the metal which is injected into the mold be controlled so as not to be too hot or too cold, and this When the metal supplied to the mold is too hot, there are a number of troubleswhich develop either singly or together. Overheated metal may produce back-squirting at the time the metal is forced into the mold. Furthermore, metal too hot produces imperfect slugs,sometimes the slugs are hollow, not containing sufficient metal to permit them: to be used in printing. 01, again, the slugs may be soft, so-that the ejector blade will sink" intothe' slug at the time the slugis being pushed from the mold',.this being brought about by the'fact that the metal is so hot that it .does not hayeysufiicient time to cool during the casting operation to be in condition solid enough to prevent theejcctor blade sinking into-them- Hot; metal Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12:, Serial No. 31,343.

is apt to produce a freezing of the metal in the 1'l10lltl1]')l6e, frequently preventing continuous casting of slugs, or to result in an imperfect slug, due to the fact that the metal not being hot enough does not perfectly fill the mold. in either event an unsatisfactory and unusable slug'is made, and, accordingly, metal too hot or too cold must be avoided. However, the regulation of the temperature of the metal supplied to the mold becomes a matter requiring some skill and attention in controlling, especially under the varying conditions under which a linotypc machine may operate.

There are times when chine is wholly or fairly inactive, at which the linotype 1natime the temperature of the mouthpiece must from the metal. Obviously, the amount of heat supplied externally to the mouthpiece must be shut off, or at least greatly reduced. And the heat supplied by the heating burner for the mouthpiece must be decreased in the same proportion as heat is supplied to the mouthpiece by the hot metal passing through it. Furthermore, when lines or slugs of different length or thickness are cast, the quantity of metal passing. through the mouthpiece varies' and" under such conditions, the temperature of themouthpiece and the metal must be' kept just right, so that all in all thereis quite a variety of regulation of the heating of the mouthpiece of a linotype machine necessary to take care of all its various phases of operation.

The usual melting pot of a .linotype machine contains a portion wherein iscontained the bulk of the melted metal, a throat portion and a mouth portion. As'is well known, the metal'is forced through the throat and the mouth portion by means of a pump. its the metal is used from the pot additiona metal is added in the form of slugs, whicl are merely dumped into the pot and errmelterl by the heat which is applied to the pot. Naturally at such times as metal slugs are dumped into the pot the teim'ierature of the metal lowered. Consequently it is necessary at such times to supply an iu creased amount oi? heat to the pot in order to quickly melt and raise the melted metal to the proper temperature. Naturally, the heating of this metal must he in as quicl; a manner as possible in order that metal of the proper temperature for casting may he supplied through the mmithpiecc, and not require that the machine be slowed down in its operation in order to wait for the raising of the tci'nperaturo of the melted metal. in the other hand when the machine is in operation the heat siiipplicd to the pot should he 2 minimum, thit is, just enough to maintain the i'netal at proper temperature.

While the mouth is a portion the metal pot, the considerations governing the temp 'rature oi the mouthpiece are quite diil'erentfrom the considcratimis governing the heat supplied to re melting pot. l l' hen the linotype machine is not in use, the amount of heat supplied to the melting pot properly should he at a minimum, being ust suiiicient to maintain the metal at a proper temperature. On the other hand at this time the ten'igierature of ti mouth 01" the melting pot should he at its maximum, because it is at that time receiving no heat which would naturally be transmitted to the walls of the mouth when conditions are such that metal passes through the mouth at frequent intcrvals. On the other hand, when the linotype machine is being used, and slugs are rapidly being made, the addition of fresh metal to the melting pot requires that a large quantity of heat be supplied to the melting pot and a minimum amoi'uit of heat be supplied tov the inoutlnfor at this time the walls of the mouth will receive a great amount of heat clue to the contact of the hot metal with the walls of the mouthpiece.

The temperature of the mouthpiece should always be maintained as nearly constant as is practical, so that'at all times the mouthpiece will be in condition to receive the metal which is pumped from the melting pot.

The object of this invention is to provide automatic means which will regulate the heat supplied to the melting" pot, and other automatic means which will regulate the heat supplied to the mouthpiece, the e1 rangeinent being such that the heat supplied to each of these sources is independently controlled;

In the present disclosure of my invention 1 have illustrated the melting pot with its throat and mouth heated by the use of gas.

,i; will, however be apparent that any other ed and lelse manner Referring to the-drawing, the melting" pot generally represented at l; the throut oi the 1 citing; pot at and the mouth of the melting pot at 3. The melting pot herein shown is oi the usual. shape and con strucliou. and no extended description need he 'i'cu. tral well 4, which is adapted to receive the plunger that forces the metal through the throat and mouth of the pot. l'lcneath the pot l have shown a burner 5. This hurncr has an auxiliary hurncr 3, the flame oi. which auxiliaio. burner is directed against the under side oi the throat of the melting pot. The burner I and are. supplied through a mixer i" by a valved. pipe 8. This pipe conncci's with the outlet portion oi a thermw stat 5'. The inlet pipe of the thermostat is represented at 10, and this pipe l0 is led from a supply pipe ll. A heat-receiving element iii of a thermostatic couple is operatively connected with a lever 13 which is pivoted. within the casing Ll at 15' This lever mechanism is secured to a valve 16 which cooperates with a sleeve 17 to regulate the flow oi through the casing l-l. llxtending beneath the mouthpiece 3 a casing 18 which is formed integral with the mouthpiece, so that heat applied to the casing 18 will be distributed to the mouthpiece by the conduction of the heat through the metal. The casing i8 is adapted to receive :1 heatreceiving element 1!) of a thermostatic couple. T his heat-receiving element is connected with a lever mechanism within the casing 20, operating a valve, etc, in the same man-- her as previously described. The gas is supplied through the pipe 11 to the pipe 21 passing through the (using 20 and from the. casing to the pipe This pipe supplies gas to the mixer 23 and the mixer to the burner 2 This burner is placed beneath the mouthpiece and beneath the casing which contains the thermostat element 19.

It will be seen from the construction dcscribed that the host supplied to the melting pot proper is entirely governed by the thermostat generally represented at 13, while the heat which is supplied at the mouthpiece 3 is entirely governed by the thermostat generally represented at 20.

The thermostat which controls the heating of the mouthpiece is a, very sensitive instrument, that is to say, it must respond very quickly to temperatural changes, inasmuch as the control of the heating of the mouthpiece must he quickly :mcomplished. under ping conditions under which the is operated.

, using the two t1 1 i spective connectioni: om enthled to coni ll The pot is provided with a ce11-' trol the supply to the mouthpiece in a man ner which is absolutely independent of the control of the heat to the melting pot proper, so that each portion of the melting pot functions in the manner in which it should with respect to the proper casting of metal slugs. And. I have found in practice that by this method of controlling the heating of the various portions of the metal pot I am percentage of perfect slugs than can be done without the method of controlling the heating herein described.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. The combination with a melting pot for a type line casting machine comprising a reservoir portion, a throat portion, and a mouth portion, means for heating the reservoir portion and the mouth portion, and separate means for automatically and independently controlling the, amount of heat supplied to the reservoir portion and mouth portion, in accordance with the heat condition of the said portions.

The combination with a melting pot for linotype machines, said melting pot comprising a reservoir portion, a throat and mouthpiece, means for heating the reservoir enabled to produce a much higher portion, independent means for heating the mouth portion, a thermostat associated With the reservoir portion for controlling the means which supplies heat to the reservoir portion, a thermostat associated with the mouth portion and adapted to control the means which supplies heat to the mouth portion. e

3. The combination with a melting pot for a linotype machine, said melting pot comprising a reservoir portion, a throat portion and a mouth portion, means for heating the reservoir portion, and independent means for heating the mouth portion, a thermostat having a thermostatic couple which extends into the reservoir plied to the reservoir portion, a thermostat having a thermostatic couple Which extends longitudinally of the mouth portion, said thermostat controlling the heat supplied to the mouthpiece by its heating means.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. LEE. Witnesses: A. J. HUDSON,

L. I. Pon'rrzn.

portion, said thermostat controlling the heat sup- 

